John Lennon's First Ferrari To Be Sold

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The Ferrari personally selected by Beatles singer/songwriter John Lennon as his first car is to be auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, UK, on Friday 12th July. In February 1965 The Beatles recorded Ticket to Ride – a song that would become one of their biggest hits, topping both the UK and US singles charts. By happy coincidence, that same month, the news that Lennon had passed his driving test made headlines across the country. Within hours, the road outside the security gates of his Kenwood home in Weybridge, Surrey, was jammed with Maseratis, Aston Martins, and the Jaguar E-type, as luxury car dealerships – hungry for business – spotted an opportunity to secure a high-profile client.

The singer, by then a father to 22-month-old Julian by his first wife Cynthia, strolled out to inspect the cars and chose a right-hand drive Ferrari 330GT 2+2 Coupé finished in Azzuro blue paint, with a blue interior, priced at £6,500 (equivalent to just over £110,000 in today’s money). Motor vehicles were to become a passion for Lennon, none more so than this Ferrari, which he used for the best part of three years – until October 1967 – covering more than 20,000 miles. By the late 1980s, this special car was with the famous Modena Ferrari dealership, from where it was acquired by its current owner. Painted red and separated from its number plate, it was then lovingly restored to its original specification.

The John Lennon Ferrari is estimated to realize between £180,000 and £220,000.

Sholto Gilbertson, Senior Specialist in the Bonhams Motor Car Department, said: “It is a wonderful commentary on the early excitement generated by ‘Beatlemania’ that John Lennon didn’t even have to leave his house to buy his first car.

“We are delighted to be offering a car associated with such an icon of contemporary popular culture at the first of our Goodwood series of auctions in 2013. Already our Festival of Speed Sale is shaping up to potentially eclipse last year’s record-breaking total.”